


Forgive and Forget

by Hiyame



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: M/M, Older Dipper Pines
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-28
Updated: 2015-04-28
Packaged: 2018-03-26 04:07:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3836449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hiyame/pseuds/Hiyame
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So my friend Ryan was having a bad day so I wrote a story that was supposed to be fluffy and instead is about post-summer adult Dipper trying to come to terms with everything that happened and move forward. But something keeps holding him back...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forgive and Forget

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hiyasaka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hiyasaka/gifts).



> This was supposed to be like two pages but is instead chaptered now. I haven't written older Dipper before or really dabbled with the post-summer verse at all so here it goes. Hope you enjoy! And yes I'm being intentionally vague in chapter 1, chapter 2 will flesh out all the nonsense.

                The trees flashed outside the window of the bus, their colors blurring into a mess of greens, sunlight flashing through the gaps to blind the boy’s eyes. It had been six years since the portal had opened and Dipper and his great uncles had stopped the apocalypse. The two Stans had sent the twins home and told them not to come back until they sent for them, and they had listened. Six years seemed like an eternity to them, but finally they received a letter in the mail inviting them back to Gravity Falls. The fallout had been tidied up and things were returning to normal. Dipper had always dreamed about coming to live in Gravity Falls when he got older and now he was finally getting his wish. Mabel of course tagged along, not wanting to be left behind in anything her brother did. She had grown up a lot more than he had, become a lot more independent and worldly. Fortunately, she was still a giant silly dork, something it seems she’d never grow out of. Dipper was more or less the same, still awkward and invested in monster hunting. He’d been doing some investigations at home but it wasn’t quite the same. The monsters in his home town were smaller and less interesting, and the weird events didn’t happen very often. In truth, he’d spent most of his time these last several years bored, or reading the three journals over and over again. Thankfully, Stanley let him keep them, since they no longer had a use for him. At least that had kept him somewhat busy.

                Dipper blinked his eyes again at the bright sun and turned his body, propping it up against the window and looking into the dark of the bus. Mabel was sitting next to him, texting her friends and giggling, brushing her long hair behind her ears. Whenever she moved her earrings jangled and made loud bell sounds, which was only mildly irritating. His sister was so excited to be coming back to Gravity Falls, to see her friends and the girl she’d had a crush on when she was younger. To be honest, Dipper had an ulterior motive for coming back too, besides missing his uncles and all the cool stuff there was here. Dipper had a crush too, and he was pretty sure that he was going to get to see the person he wanted to see too. After all, there was no way not to, after what they did to Bill at the end of that terrible, wonderful summer. The boy let his eyes drift closed, listening to click of Mabel’s fingers texting and the ringing bells until the bus finally slowed to a stop at the lone bus stop outside of Gravity Falls.

                “Hey kids! You in there?” Dipper’s eyes snapped open at the crusty old man sound of his uncle’s voice, and he and Mabel exchanged excited glances. For all their problems with him last summer, they’d grown very fond of him. Not to mentioned he saved their lives after the whole near apocalypse thing. Dipper had been angry and hurt during the events of that tragedy and Stan never held it against him. He had just given Dipper the time he needed. This separation had done wonders for their relationship, and Dipper had come to terms with everything that happened. In the end, they managed to fix everything, so there was no reason to be angry with him anymore. Dipper took a glance at Mabel and smiled a little, getting up to move off the bus. Besides, he reasoned, if Mabel had gotten trapped in a nether space like Stanley had, Dipper would probably risk the world to save her too. The twins moved forward and got off the bus, immediately assaulted by the fresh pine smell of Gravity Falls. Stan was sitting in his beat up car, honking and waving like he’d never thought he’d see them again. That had been a real possibility, so the twins were just as excited to see him. They moved forward and piled into the car, jabbering all at once.

                “Oh my gosh how have you been? I’ve been so excited to see you! I’ve been-“

                “How have things been around here? Are there monsters? Has anything blown up? I-“

                “Don’t interrupt me Dipper! I was asking if he was doing well and you start on monsters! Where are your manners?”

                “Don’t you talk to me about manners, Miss ‘I still eat with my mouth open’”

                “I’m showing off my beautiful teeth! Look, my braces are off!” Mabel proceeded to practically lunge into the front seat, grinning like a madman and showing off her very white, very straight teeth. Stan just laughed and shook his head, not sure what to say but obviously happy to have them back.

                “You two are basically the same as you were when you left here. Like freaky children in adult bodies. It’s weird. You’re weird.” The two twins glanced at each other before laughing, Stan laughing with them. “Good to see nothing’s changed. The shack and everything are pretty much the same. My brother is pretty much never home so it’ll be mostly just you guys and me. And Soos. Guy won’t leave.” Dipper felt himself smiling and laughing more than he had in a long time. Something about this place just fit him, and he felt so much more at home here than he did when he was at his actual home. He and Mabel had brought a suitcase each, leaving most of their belongings at home. That was intended to make their parents feel better about them leaving, but in all honesty, they probably wouldn’t be back. Gravity Falls had been their destination for a long time, and now that they were finally here, they weren’t going to leave. Stan had sensed this when he got the call from them saying when they’d be arriving, and he didn’t mind. Though he found the idea of two grown people sharing a room a little weird, there wasn’t much he could do about it. Now that his brother was back, Stanley was sleeping in that room again. There wasn’t anywhere for them to stay except the attic. Well, they’d figure it out.

                Stan drove for a while, listening to the two chattering in the back and occasionally grunting out answers. He knew he’d have to sit down with Dipper soon and talk to him about everything that happened, but for now he was grateful for the distraction. Mabel was so happy she was vibrating and Dipper was looking at her with great concern. She had set up a shopping date with Candy and Grenda for the next day, because today was all about moving in and catching up. Dipper’s plans were for tonight, but for now he was happy to just spend time with the group. Stan told him that Wendy had moved on to go to college and wasn’t around anymore, but he didn’t mind. She was the first in her family to go to college and that was a big deal. Maybe she’d come back when she was done and they could catch up to. For now though, he was just happy for her. It was weird that Soos was still around, but at the same time not unexpected. He was turning into a stellar handyman, more so than before, and he was still with his girlfriend Melody, who was back in town and happy to be in a relationship. It was pretty amazing that they were still together, but again, Dipper was just happy for him. It seemed like everything had worked out for everyone, which was such a relief. Dipper just hoped that things worked out for Mabel with her Pacifica problem, and he prayed she didn’t go too overboard. Seemed likely though.

                After about a half hour, they arrived at the mystery shack, still more or less the same as it had always been. That S still wasn’t working out, but it looked like no one had bothered to fix it in all this time. Guess it didn’t matter. They pulled their stuff out of the back and moved with Stan to the front door, watching him unlock it and let them back in. It was like stepping into a time capsule. Everything from the omnipresent Bill carpet to the mold splotches on the ceiling was exactly the same. The atmosphere felt the same, dusty and closed in. Dipper took a deep breath and smiled to himself, looking around at the dusty kitsch that lined the walls, and the pile of hats that looked just like his. It felt like something he’d been waiting for forever, but at the same time it was something he had dreaded as well. He took a quick, embarrassed glance at the snack machine before looking away, not wanting to give away his intentions. No one could know what he was planning, not yet. It was dangerous to show any kind of weakness towards that thing around the Stans. Dipper flung his suitcase over his shoulder and stretched, heading towards the stairs.

                “Come on Mabel! We’ll be right back Stan.” It felt weird to call him grunkle now that he was an adult, so Stan would have to do. Besides, their relationship was still rebuilding, and he didn’t feel like giving up that much just yet. Maybe once they had a chance to talk he would be a little more open. For now, his focus was on his sister and putting things into motion for tonight. Mabel ran passed him up the stairs and kicked open the door, laughing like a hyena and throwing herself down onto her bed. This was just like her, and a smile came to Dipper’s face that he promptly tried to hide. Now he just had to get her on board with his plan and maybe things would go okay, for once. The boy followed his sister in and set his stuff down, looking at the bed. It had been upgraded in size, so it would fit them better, though his sister didn’t seem to notice.

                “Ah, everything is just like I hoped. I missed this room!” She rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling, beaming. “It feels so good to be back!” She looked like she was about to keep talking when she bolted up in bed, concentrating. “Is that…” The sound of pattering was coming from the stairs, and in no time at all a small pink bundle had burst through the doorway and launched itself onto Mabel’s bed. “Oh my gosh Waddles! You remember me! You remember us!” She giggled with glee and flopped over again, holding her pig tight to her chest. Dipper was glad that he was still around, because honestly having to deal with a heartbroken Mabel was not what he needed right now. Dipper just lay down on his bed, leaning on his side and watching Mabel play with her pig. It felt so peaceful in their room, sunlight filtering in through the window, reflecting off the dust kicked up by their presence. Dipper looked down on the floor and felt a frown cross his face. It seemed that no matter where he went, he couldn’t escape the mark of Bill. He could see it now in the sunlight streaming through their window, that ever present eye he couldn’t escape from. The boy shuddered and rolled onto his back, listening to his sister’s happy cooing and formulating the rest of his plan. Now was the time to ask.

                “Hey Mabel, I need your help with something?” His voice was trembling a little bit and Mabel looked up immediately, a worried look in her eyes. Dipper had gotten a little quieter over the years, less open about mysteries and how he was feeling in general. She assumed it was normal for boys to stop talking about their feelings as much, but she didn’t like it. So whenever he was willing to talk to her, she always listened.

                “What is it? I’ll help with anything!” Ah, good reliable Mabel. Dipper knew that she had gotten more attentive to him after she betrayed him at the portal all those years ago, and maybe he didn’t mind it. He didn’t want her to feel guilty, sure, but at the same time that scar still hadn’t fully healed. Dipper never tried to make her feel bad though, he’d never do that to her.

                “I have something I need to do tonight, and I can’t have Stan butting in. Will you keep an eye on him tonight once it gets later so that I can do my thing?” Mabel tensed, and Dipper felt it change the atmosphere in the room immediately. He knew he deserved it to some degree, and he knew that she was thinking about Bill. After everything that happened, she had a right to be suspicious. But he had to do this, he just had to. Hopefully she would understand and not ask too many questions. A long moment passed between the two of them before Mabel finally smiled, the clouds parting between them.

                “Sure thing, sibling of mine. Just give me the thumbs up and I’ll do my best, most distracting moves!” She laughed and went back to playing with Waddles while Dipper breathed a sigh of relief. In that moment, understanding what Mabel was willing to do for him, he silently forgave her for any of the grudge he’d still be carrying. It was stupid to hold that inside for so long, and he felt a little ashamed of himself. It wasn’t like he’d been perfect either, far from it. The boy got up and moved over to Mabel, giving her shoulder a tight squeeze before moving out of the room, wandering the halls of the mystery shack. It felt so familiar and warm to be here, but Dipper also felt something of a disconnect. Most of this stuff had been replaced after the shack had been nearly torn apart from the fighting, and he wasn’t innocent of that. Dipper slowly raised his hand and ran it along the wallpaper, feeling the rough texture and frowning slightly, lost a little in both guilt and memory. There was a creak behind him and he heard his uncle’s rough voice again.

                “Kid, you uh… done feeling up my walls?” The boy colored sharply and lept back from the wall, looking away in embarrassment. Stan always knew what to say to get a rise out of him, and the man started laughing at the boy’s reaction. “Don’t worry, don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.” Stan winked before walking up closer to him, putting an arm around the shoulders of the now much taller Dipper. “Hey, listen Dipper… Can you come sit down in the living room with me?” Of course. This was what Dipper had been dreading. Once this was over with it should be fine for them for the rest of his time here, but they had to talk now or else it would just hang over them like a dark cloud. Dipper nodded and followed Stan down the stairs into the living room, seating himself on the couch and watching Stan settle into his chair. This was going to be painful.

                “Look, I know you meant well back then, but a lot of the stuff that happened can’t just be ignored. People could have been hurt, you know?” Dipper was already prepared, and he was not about to sit through a lecture. He guilt tripped himself enough.

                “I know, Stan. I know that a lot of stuff happened because of me, and that it could have been a lot worse. I didn’t understand, and I guess… I was taken advantage of. But things are different now, and I’m different. I know myself now more than I did back then, and something like that won’t ever happen again. You have my word.” Dipped had been deciding what to say for a while, and this felt like the most natural thing he could do. All he could say was that he made a mistake and that it wouldn’t happen again. He had redeemed himself in the end, hadn’t he? So hopefully this was enough for Stan. Maybe after this everyone could just drop all their negative feelings and just be a family again. Stan was looking at him intensely for a long moment before he cracked a smile and leaned back in his chair.

                “I knew it’d be fine. I believe in you kid, I guess. If you want to call it that. And I knew you’d have thought a lot about everything by the time you came back. I guess we can just move forward. Though I know my brother is still a little miffed with ya. But eh, what can you do. He doesn’t know you like I do and his opinion of, well….” Stan faltered and Dipper just nodded, looking away. He knew perfectly well what Stanley’s opinion was, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear it. Stanley, the author, had been his idol for so long, but he was nothing like he had hoped. Stanley was paranoid to an intense degree, and rather than taking him under his wing and helping to teach him, Stanley was angry at first that anyone had been reading his journals, or that Dipper had noticed the invisible ink. He had relented eventually, but that initial reaction had soured Dipper’s opinion towards him. If the two could work on mending their relationship while Dipper was here, maybe they could get to somewhere more pleasant.

                Dipper sat with his uncle in silence for a while, just watching TV with him and thinking. It was a little awkward, but also pleasant, more pleasant than Dipper had expected. Maybe they could put the past behind them and move forward. That was what the boy wanted more than anything, and the thought of being able to be close with everyone again like he had been before was something he longed for. If only there wasn’t this nagging, awful feeling in his chest… But he would deal with that later. For now it was better this way, just sitting in silence and getting used to each other’s presence again. There was loud thumping coming down the stairs when Mabel pushed herself into their closed off atmosphere, breaking the quiet and peaceful spell that had come over the living room.

                “Boy, you two sure are gloomy. Let’s do something fun instead!” Mabel came and sat down next to Dipper, putting Waddles down and putting her arm around her brother. “Let’s find Soos and play some party games, yeah! Party games! Party games! Party games!” Dipper was about to sigh and extract himself from Mabel, but instead he paused. Maybe it would be nice to just cut loose and spend some time with his family. Maybe he should stop being so resistant. It was clear that everyone accepted him, and he was more than willing to let the past lie. What would be the harm?

                “Alright Mabel. Let’s do it.” At the sound of his voice, Mabel’s eyes lit up and she lept off the couch.

                “Yeah! Let’s do this thing!” Stan and Dipper both laughed and moved forward, Stan picking up the phone and Dipper going with Mabel to what she had dubbed the “party closet” when they had lived here earlier. It was filled with old party supplies, some games, some broken musical instruments, and an extremely disturbing looking tiki head with eyes that followed you and a mouth full of broken teeth. They had never asked about it and liked to pretend it didn’t exist.

                “Okay let’s see, we’ve got Slides and Climbing Equipment.”

                “Too kiddy.”

                “Alrighty, um… Oh, there’s Organ Removal Game!”

                “No way! It’s missing pieces anyway.”

                “Fine, then how about Funtime Murder Game?” Dipper nodded at that one and pulled it out, brushing the dust off the old game. It had probably been six years since these had been touched, and he was sort of glad they were busting them out again. If he wanted to live here and face down his history, he was going to need to have some allies. It felt like finally, maybe, he could consider himself part of this family again. It seemed like everyone had pretty much moved on, and he wanted to as well. He wanted to feel like he belonged again. Dipper smiled down at the game, nodding. This was his chance to just let go and have fun, and he wasn’t going to waste it.

                A half an hour later, everyone was seated around the table. Soos and Stan were on one side, Mabel and Dipper on the other. The game was cracked open and cards were distributed while the board was being set up. Within minutes, people were fighting over the dice, cracking jokes and laughing until their sides hurt. It felt like everything was just washed away and they were all on the same playing field again. For the several hours that they played games, Dipper didn’t think about that summer at all. Instead he focused on his family and what it felt like being a part of it again. As it got later and later though, he started to get worried. He needed to act on his plan soon, before it got too late and he was too tired to deal with that thing. But he knew that he was going to hold this feeling close to his heart and try to remember to always behave this way. He needed to keep this feeling going, needed to make sure that he was a part of this family again. No matter what, he couldn’t lose that. With that in mind, he gave a nod to Mabel, indicating that he was ready to put his plan into motion. She nodded in return, helping Stan clean up the board.

                “Oh hey, did I tell you that I got the sequel to that gross old lady old time show you watched! About that duchess?” Stan gave a horrified look before looking around like he was anticipating cameras.

                “No you didn’t. Give me that! Not that I want to watch it or anything, I just uh… want to throw it out personally. Yeah.” Stan looked side to side before bolting off to the living room, and they heard the TV switch on. The three of them laughed before Dipper and Mabel said good night to Soos, Mabel heading upstairs once Soos was gone. Now was the time for Dipper to strike.  He just prayed the code hadn’t changed…

                Dipper moved forward to the snack machine, punching in the old code that he knew very well. With a near silent hiss the machine slid forward effortlessly, letting Dipper swing it the rest of the way open to reveal that long dark staircase. How many times had he walked down these steps in his dreams? How many times had he feared and longed for what lay at the bottom? All he could do now was press forward and finally face his demons, so to speak. The boy moved forward and swung the door closed, feeling his way along the walls as he took hesitant steps in the dark gloom. It took him a fair amount of time to reach the bottom, the old machines and panels greeting him with their familiar winking lights and soft humming. However, what lay beyond the steel door and double plated windows was much different.

                Among the ruins of the portal was a huge metal construct, a giant pedestal and two tall tesla towers on either side. Sitting upon the pedestal was a massive dome of curved glass, a bolt of blue lightning occasionally crackling across its surface. The dome was fixed in place with giant chains and metal tethers, connecting it to the two towers and keeping it in the center of the pedestal. Dipper watched it silently for a long time, not daring to go beyond the steel doors. What if he couldn’t handle this? What if he gave in again? He had too many questions that needed answers to back down, but he was more than scared of the thing in the cage. Still, what else could he do? The boy took a deep breath and pushed the door open, steeping into the room.

                As the door opened, something materialized inside the dome, his eye rolling into place to fixate on the man that just entered his room.

                “About time you came to visit me, Pine Tree.”

                “Hello, Bill.”


End file.
